Michael Williams, former Texas Railroad Commissioner, now oversees 1,200 school districts and charter schools in Texas as head of the TEA. (Photo by Texas Tribune)
STAFF REPORT
Gov. Rick Perry announced Monday his selection of Michael Williams to lead the Texas Education Agency, which oversees Texas’ 1,200 school districts and charter schools. Williams, the former Texas Railroad Commission chairman, has his work cut out for him as the TEA prepares for trial in a lawsuit filed by several hundred school districts following significant cuts to public education funding in the last legislative session.
Williams takes the reins from Robert Scott who headed the agency for five years. Scott, who stepped down in July, said earlier this year that high stakes testing of students was a “perversion” of the testing regime’s original intent.
Perry also appointed Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds, who had served as TEA’s deputy commissioner for policy and programs since 2007, as the agency’s new chief deputy commissioner.
